The CDC confirmed the suspected orthopoxvirus detected in Peach State was this virus.
ATLANTA – Georgia officially has its first case of monkeypox.
The Georgia Department of Public Health said it received confirmation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that last week’s orthopoxvirus case actually monkeypox.
CDC leaders reported the suspected case of the virus last Wednesday. The Atlanta-based federal public health agency reported a diagnosis of orthopoxvirus in a man in the coastal city of Atlanta. Georgia DPH health officials said he is still monitoring his symptoms in isolation as they continue contact tracing. CDC data shows this is the only confirmed case of the virus in Georgia.
It is not known how or where the man contracted the virus.
Monkeypox was first reported in the United States in Massachusetts last month. That man had recently traveled internationally, health officials there said.
To date, Florida is the only southern state to report cases of the disease. Other states, such as Virginia and New York, have also reported cases, CDC data shows.
Symptoms of the disease include a blistering rash. The CDC also listed fever, chills and fatigue as known symptoms, with people reporting muscle aches and headaches.
According to WHO, people infected with the virus usually have symptoms within 2-4 weeks. Global health leaders say severe cases of monkeypox occur in children “and are linked to virus exposure, patient health status and complications.”
There is currently no treatment to prevent or cure the virus, but some patients are treated with the smallpox vaccine or antiviral medication, according to the CDC.
No deaths have been reported in the outbreak outside of Africa.
